The Village Certified standard operationalizes the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("Ruggie Principles"), the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investments, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The standard means all certified investments occur with the free, prior and informed consent of communities and follow strict guidelines for assessing impacts on human rights and accounting for local land use rights and customary or communal ownership. We utilize innovative tools, such as social tenure domain software, to document and map community use, needs and areas of potential conflict. By working through local NGOs and with communities we ensure that business investments have local support and a greater chance to succeed.

The Village Certified standard operationalizes the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("Ruggie Principles"), the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investments, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The standard means all certified investments occur with the free, prior and informed consent of communities and follow strict guidelines for assessing impacts on human rights and accounting for local land use rights and customary or communal ownership. We utilize innovative tools, such as social tenure domain software, to document and map community use, needs and areas of potential conflict. By working through local NGOs and with communities we ensure that business investments have local support and a greater chance to succeed.